Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said that the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta was temporarily shut down and renovated to boost its tourism value and increase revenue generation.
He explained that the historic site, which is regarded as one of Nigeria’s major tourist attractions, has now recorded a significant rise in income following its upgrade.
Speaking on Thursday at the commissioning of the 5.5-kilometre Elega–Miliki–Saje–Bode-Olude–Alhaji Sugar Road in Abeokuta, which cuts across Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South LGAs, the governor said the facility had been performing poorly before the intervention.
According to him, the low revenue generated earlier reflected the poor condition of the site prior to its refurbishment.
“When I shut it down and I did the refurbishment of Olumo, Olumo began to generate about 10 million a week as about 40 million a month compared to 3 million a year.”
He further stated that the tourist centre has since become one of the most visited attractions in the country.
“I restored Olumo Rock that has become probably number one or number two tourist site in Nigeria.
“If you Google tourist sites in Nigeria, Olumo Rock will be the first to appear.
He added that when he assumed office, the site was only generating about 3–4 million naira annually.
“When I assumed office, Olumo Rock was generating probably about 3–4 million naira annually.
“That 3–4 million naira annually was the revenue generated by Olumo Rock when I became governor.
“When I shut it down and carried out the refurbishment of Olumo Rock, it began to generate about 10 million a week, about 40 million a month, compared to 3 million a year,” he said.
The governor noted that the government had reopened the facility after renovation and initially allowed free entry to encourage tourism and public interest in the cultural site.
He said the temporary free access was later stopped due to overcrowding and safety concerns.
The state government also moved to concession the site to a private operator to improve management and ensure steady revenue.
Olumo Rock remains one of Nigeria’s most popular cultural landmarks and continues to play a key role in Ogun State’s tourism drive.